Chelsea Clinton's $3 million wedding: First reactions

While the public has demonstrated a voracious appetite for details about Chelsea Clinton's wedding, to be held this Saturday, no factor has gotten more attention than its projected cost. Between the $15,000 deluxe portable toilets, several hundred thousand dollars worth of flowers, glass-walled tents, and premium security (President Obama won't be attending, but Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand reportedly will be), the bill for the nuptials is being estimated at between $2 million and $5 million. Should we expect no less for the daughter of political royalty (who earned a reported $109 million between 2000 and 2007)? Reaction to the hefty price projections is mixed:

It could be worse: The daughter of a former U.S. president and the current secretary of state can't exactly "run off to Hawaii like Megan Fox," says Joanna Molloy in the New York Daily News. Chelsea's wedding plans may be lavish, but "it's not as if the former First Daughter is dressing 10 bridesmaids in Dolce & Gabbana and stuffing magnolia trees with white roses, like Fergie did for her wedding to Josh Duhamel." Chelsea's "just being practical" in accommodating her high-profile guests.

Let's get real: In a continuing recession, says Emily Zanotti at Chicago Now, Americans "prefer not to be reminded" that some people "waste what they make in a year on a bottle of Cristal Rose." A number of celebrities and high-profile personalities (including Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka) have toned down their weddings accordingly. Doesn't Chelsea get it?

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How ... irresponsible: "Really, a $3 million wedding?" says Jenna Goudreau in Forbes. "I can't help but wonder how the people of Haiti or the Gulf might use even half of that sum."

Exactly, the money would have been better spent helping the needy: "Considering how Bill Clinton is calling for donations to help the earthquake victims in Haiti, would it not have been more humane to have a simple wedding?" asks Andrew Zarowny at Right Pundits.

The Clintons do a lot of good, they deserve to have a big wedding: Back off, people, says Amy Andrews in Irish Central. "Last time I looked, Bill was giving billions through his foundation to worthy causes, as well as helping out pro bono in Haiti. If ever a man deserved a wedding day with his daughter he does." Don't forget that "Hillary could be making millions in the private sector too, but decided on government service." As for Chelsea, after enduring harsh media treatment during her adolescence, she "deserves the very best."

The Bushes set a better example: Jenna Bush's 2008 wedding cost an estimated $100,000. Even the lowest speculations ($2 million) have Chelsea's wedding costing 20 times that amount, notes Lulu and Moxley's Mom at Babble. "As far as recent presidential weddings go, Chelsea Clinton’s will take the (wedding) cake."